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- 🛹 40 things to do in London this weekend with the kids (16–17 May)
🛹 40 things to do in London this weekend with the kids (16–17 May)
Jeff – Dads in London
May 13, 2026
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Hey DILFs!
I have news about something free! Our unanimously-agreed-upon National Treasure™ Sir David Attenborough has taken over the giant wraparound screens at Outernet until 31 May.
The experience is called Our Story with David Attenborough, and it’s a newly created shorter version of the Natural History Museum’s full immersive show of the same name. Using scientifically accurate animation and real footage from around the world, Sir David guides you through the story of humanity’s relationship with the planet – before showing a possible near-future version of London where nature and people manage to flourish together.
As with all Outernet giant-screen extravaganzas, it looks spectacular and is completely free to visit. We went a few days ago and thought it was great, although much shorter than expected: just a few minutes’ long. There’ll be regular showings throughout the day, and you can check the website for exact times.
There’s much more you can do this weekend, of course – some of them free, some of them less so. Check them out and see what takes your fancy.
Enjoy!
Jeff xx
Museum of Illusions
Open daily, permanently (or until it turns out I’m right about something – see below), 10:00–19:00 or 20:00 depending on the day
Museum of Illusions, 15–17 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 1BJ
Adults (15+) £29, 5–14s £24, under-5s free
Age guidance: suitable for all
“You know what this city needs?” said absolutely no one. “Another museum of illusions.” Yet someone unhinged must have said those words out loud, because our capital city now has its third museum of illusions in less than four years. Either there’s an insatiable demand for rooms where your child appears upside down, or illusion museums are the latest way to launder money now that American sweet shops have been found out.
The newest one is Museum of Illusions on Tottenham Court Road, and it competes directly with Paradox Museum in Knightsbridge and Twist Museum on Oxford Street.
At the time of writing, the one in London has only just opened – so I haven’t been and I haven’t seen any reviews. But Museum of Illusions is an international brand with 60 locations across 27 countries and 5 continents, and people seem to love its other venues. Mancunians give their version 4.7 stars, Romans 4.4, New Yorkers 4.4 as well, and Nairobians love it as much as the Mancs (4.7). Most incredibly, the Museum of Illusions Las Vegas – in a city built almost entirely on spectacle and illusion – gets 4.8 stars from nearly 9,000 people.
If you’ve been to Paradox Museum or Twist Museum and you’re wondering if this one is different in any way at all… I can’t say for certain, but I’m pretty sure the answer is “ish, but not in any meaningful way”. Paradox leans more heavily into the whole Instagram-photo-op side of things, Twist likes to be a bit more educational with its little explanation signs, and – from what I’ve read – Museum of Illusions has plonked itself in the middle of this very narrow spectrum.
Inside you’ll find all the things you think you’ll find: a “Beuchet Chair room” where someone sits on a chair and appears to be tiny; a “head on a platter” installation where it looks like your head has no body; a “symmetry room” where everything gets cloned; that famous “cafe wall illusion” where you think the lines are bendy but actually they’re straight; and so on.
So yes, if that sounds fun to you, go. I’m just not convinced it matters which of the three you choose – especially as the prices are all similarly ambitious. (Paradox and Twist lose points, however, for making theirs look cheaper and having sneaky booking fees in a smaller font.) Here’s a breakdown with all fees included:
Museum of Illusions: adults (15+) £29, 5–14s £24, under-5s free
Paradox Museum: adults (18+) £30.50, 4–17s £24, under-4s free
Twist Museum: adults (15+) £26, 4–14s £21.50, under-4s free
Twist does get a slightly higher rating on Google, but then it’s from a smaller number of people.
So yes, go to whichever one’s closest to you. And unless you’re a genuine optical-illusion anorak, you probably don’t need to collect the full set.
Find out more: https://moilondon.uk/experience/
Young MacDonald Wants a Farm
Sunday 17 May, 11:00 and 14:00
artsdepot, 5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, N12 0GA
ÂŁ13.75 per person
Age guidance: 2–6
Our six-month-old vacuum cleaner collapsed and died the other day. It had been missing a handle since its three-week birthday, and had never once done anything useful on carpet – despite its manufacturer’s claims to the contrary.
So I’ve been looking into replacements. And everyone on Reddit, including this vacuum expert (who is a LEGEND and you need to read his famous AMA) says Miele is the brand to go for. Apparently, every single vacuum cleaner the company produces is stellar, so I can trust that whatever I buy from the brand: it’ll last forever and I’ll be eternally happy.
And now I think I’ve found the Miele of children’s stage shows. Little Seeds Music has created hit after hit of clever, creative, offbeat family theatre. You might have heard of some of them: Luna Loves Library Day, Cinderella Ice Cream Seller, A Present For Jack, and David Gibb’s Family Jukebox are all Little Seeds creations that have been adored by both me and people who know what they’re talking about.
As with some of their other productions, Young MacDonald Wants a Farm is essentially a “what happened next?” version of an old story – in this case the story of Old MacDonald who had a farm.
It’s about Young MacDonald who’s been left in charge of his dad’s farm and soon realises that it’s less easy to manage than he thought. There’s plenty of silliness, lots of catchy original songs, and the odd bit of audience interaction where children are invited to help bring order back to the farm.
I haven’t been, but like I said: this is the Miele of theatre, which means it’s guaranteed to be fantastic. The only difference with Miele (other than, I don’t know, practically everything else) is that it won’t cost you OH MY GOODNESS EIGHT. HUNDRED. POUNDS to experience the joy of it.
👉 Brief interruption in a horrible colour: if this newsletter has earned its keep, you can buy me a coffee. (Completely optional, of course.)
FUNharmonics: Stan and Mabel and the Race for Space
Sunday 17 May, 12:00
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
£10–£26
Age guidance: 5+
Stan and Mabel and the Race for Space is the performance equivalent of hiding vegetables in chocolate cake: it’s a London Philharmonic Orchestra concert disguised as a story about a music-loving dog called Stan and his feline companion Mabel, who have been captured and thrown into the School for Wild and Dangerous Animals. Stan, Mabel and all their animal friends then make a run for it and try to find a safe place to call home – picking up a working knowledge of orchestra music along the way.
It may not be the most true-to-life tale on earth, but just go with it: it’s fun, educational and interactive, with players introducing their instruments and leading singalongs. And it comes with a full orchestra playing Mozart, Elgar and Britten among others.
Find out more: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/funharmonics-stan-and-mabel-and-the-race-for-space/
While you’re there…
👍️ All FUNharmonics concerts include free, pre-concert activities in the Royal Festival Hall foyer from 10:00. The activities are for FUNharmonics ticket-holders only, so it won’t be too busy. (Having said that, the RFH seats 2,700 people, so let’s hope not all attendees turn up early for the pre-show stuff.)
👍️ Visit Skate 50, a multimedia exhibition that looks at the history of the Southbank Centre’s skate space and the community built around it. You’ll need tickets, which are Pay What You Can. (I wrote about the exhibition in last week’s newsletter.)
👍️ Hunt down Sir Quentin Blake’s new illustrations around the Southbank Centre, featuring everyone from ballet dancers and dub poets to skaters, jazz singers and other gloriously gangly characters. There’s also a whole outdoor procession of them outside the Royal Festival Hall.
Festival of The Boy London
Sunday 17 May, 10:30–13:30 and 14:00–17:00
Big Penny Social, 1 Priestley Way, E17 6AL
Adults £10.40, 5–15s £12.48, under-5s free
Age guidance: “Although designed for 7-11-year-old boys, everyone is welcome.”
Before you say it, don’t worry: there was a Festival of The Girl too, and there’ll be another one in October. And before you say it, don’t worry: girls can also attend the Festival of The Boy.
Allegations of unfairness dealt with, let’s look into this thing. The Festival of The Boy is a festival with strange ideas about how to capitalise its name but a solid mission statement and reason for existence. It came about due to a report called The Voice of the Boys (no UC “the” this time?), which was based on conversations with over 1,000 boys aged 11–16 across the UK. It found that 81% of boys say there aren’t enough opportunities to just be a boy in today’s world. It also found that 79% are confused about what “masculinity” means; that 72% feel socially disconnected, saying they don’t have more than one person who knows them really well; and that 65% don’t think school is preparing them for the future well enough.
If you’re starting to worry that the festival will feature Andrew Tate-esque role models who teach boys not to cry and how to beat each other up more successfully, that’s really not what it is. It’s about giving boys space to connect, explore interests and feel more comfortable in themselves, rather than forcing them into one narrow idea of masculinity.
The programme has the energy of someone emptying an entire parenting philosophy onto a timetable, but that’s not a bad thing. You can try stage combat and street dance, learn about aviation with British Airways, do STEM activities with UCL, discuss body image, explore equality at home, and rethink what “strength” actually means with trainers and strongman coaches. There are also art workshops, gaming, yoga, music, Dungeons & Dragons-style storytelling adventures and a nanny/DJ called Joss, which feels like the sort of job title only London could produce.
Whether or not you agree with every aspect of the festival’s philosophy, it’s difficult to argue with a timetable that encourages boys to express themselves through art, music, science and stage combat. I mean, it’s considerably healthier than whatever the internet has planned for them that day – and probably safer than body-slamming each other onto an IKEA rug.
Honey, I Shrunk The Kids
Saturday and Sunday, 11:00
The Garden Cinema, 39-41 Parker Street, WC2B 5PQ
Pay what you can
Age guidance: rated U
Today I learned that the Society for the Preservation of English Language and Literature (S.P.E.L.L) is/was a thing (it doesn’t seem to have been active for some time). And in 1989 it gave Honey, I Shrunk The Kids a Dunce Cap Award, citing the title’s grammatical error of using “shrunk” instead of “shrank”. (If S.P.E.L.L had still been operating in 2002, I hope they would have given the same award to Two Weeks Notice.)
The grammatical error isn’t the film’s only problem. There’s also a very obvious building that’s been painted blue to stand in for the sky, reflections of set lighting and cameras visible on characters’ glasses throughout the film, and a character who can be heard breathing despite having just nearly drowned.
But that doesn’t take away from the fact that this film, beloved by surprisingly few ordinary people and a surprisingly large number of professional critics, is a classic. And your kids need to see it because it’s as important to the childhood experience as trying to get a straw into a Capri-Sun and putting on socks straight after swimming.
In case you’re an alien who’s visiting Earth for the first time, 1) Welcome! 2) Here’s a brief explanation of the plot: a man invents a machine that shrinks objects, accidentally uses it on several children, and is then forced to rescue them from what has suddenly become the deadliest garden in America.
And while you can watch it at home, there’s nothing like the full cinema experience – especially when it’s at The Garden Cinema, which is a beautiful art deco-style, truly independent place with classy drinks, proper good coffee, and the kinds of hipster snacks you feel better about buying than Haribo. Tickets are likely to sell out fast, so hurry up and book.
While you’re there…
👍️ On Sunday mornings at The Garden Museum, family screenings are always followed by a free activity for children.
Other listings
This section now brings together both new events I don’t have room to expand on and selected older ones from past newsletters that are still running. If you see a “(see my write-up here)”, that’s your cue to click through and rediscover whatever Past Me felt strongly enough to write about.
Rooftop Cinema Club: Ratatouille
Saturday 16 May, 14:00
Level 8 Stratford Shopping Centre, Great Eastern Road, E15 1XE
Adults ÂŁ14, under-12s ÂŁ8
Age guidance: rated PG
The Rapping Princess
Until 21 June, various start times each day
Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, SW19 1SB
ÂŁ11 per person
Age guidance: 3–6
Goose Green Fair at Dulwich Festival
Sunday 17 May, 11:00–17:00
Goose Green, East Dulwich, SE22 9AU
FREE – no booking required
Age guidance: suitable for all
The Flying Bath
Until 12 July, various start times each day
Little Angel Theatre, 14 Dagmar Passage, N1 2DN
Adults £15.50, 1–17s £13.50
Age guidance: 2–5
Toto the Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape
Until 19 July, various start times each day
Little Angel Studios, Sebbon Street, N1 2EH
Adults £15.50, 1–17s £13.50
Age guidance: 5+
Pie-Rat Island
Saturday and Sunday, various start times each day
Half Moon Young People’s Theatre, 43 White Horse Road, E1 0ND
ÂŁ9 per person
Age guidance: 2–6
Vauxhall May Fair
Saturday and Sunday, 11:00–17:00
Vauxhall City Farm (Tyers Street, SE11 5HS) and Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, SE11 5HL
FREE – no booking required
Age guidance: suitable for all
Family Film Club: The Songbird's Secret
Saturday 16 May, 11:00
Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS
Adults ÂŁ5, under-18s ÂŁ2.50
Age guidance: rated U
The Ugly Duckling
Puppet Theatre Barge, Blomfield Road (opposite 35), W9 2PF
Until 31 May, various start times
Adults £15, 2–16s £12
Age guidance: 4–10
Toto Kerblammo! (see my write-up here)
Until 22 May, various dates and start times
Unicorn Theatre, 147 Tooley Street, SE1 2HZ
£14.50–£18.50 per person, depending on the date
Age guidance: 10+
Skate 50 (see my write-up here)
Various dates until 21 June, various timeslots
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
Pay what you can: £0–£10 (free for skateboarders)
Age guidance: suitable for all
Zurbarán (see my write-up here)
Daily until 23 August, 10:00–18:00 (Fridays until 21:00)
The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN
£20–£22 (off-peak/peak), under-18s free
NIGO: From Japan with Love
Daily until 4 October, 10:00–17:00 Monday–Thursday and 10:00–18:00 Friday–Sunday
Design Museum, 224–238 Kensington High Street, W8 6AG
Adults £19, 6–17s £10, under-6s free
Tortoise and the Hare
Various dates until 31 May, various start times
Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, SW19 1SB
ÂŁ10 per person
Age guidance: 3–7
Paulo Nimer Pjota: Encantados
Wednesday–Sunday until 23 August, 12:00–18:00 (Wednesdays until 21:00)
South London Gallery, 65–67 Peckham Road, SE5 8UH
FREE – no booking required
David Bowie: You're Not Alone (see my write-up here)
Until 10 September (most days), 10:30–16:30 or 17:30 depending on the day
Lightroom, 12 Lewis Cubitt Square, N1C 4DY
Adults £29.50, 3–18s £19.50, under-3s free (family discounts available at certain times of day)
Age guidance: suitable for all
Early Netherlandish drawings (see my write-up here)
Daily until 20 September, 10:00–17:00 (until 20:30 on Fridays)
British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG
FREE
Paint! Pattern! Print! The Textiles of Susan Collier and Sarah Campbell (see my write-up here)
Tuesday–Saturday until 13 September, 11:00–18:00
Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3XF
Adults £11.50, 12–17s £9.50, under-12s free
The Wallace Collection at War
Daily until 25 October, 10:00–17:00
The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, W1U 3BN
FREE
Konrad Mägi
Tuesday–Sunday until 12 July, 10:00–17:00
Dulwich Picture Gallery, College Road, SE21 7AD
Adults ÂŁ18, under-18s free
Ty Locke: Hand Me Downs (see my write-up here)
Wednesday–Saturday until 16 May, 12:00–18:00
Copperfield Gallery, 6 Copperfield Street, SE1 0EP
FREE
The Coming of Age
Tuesday–Sunday until 29 November
Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, NW1 2BE
FREE
The Last Princess of Punjab
Daily until 8 November, 10:00–18:00
Kensington Palace, Kensington Gardens, W8 4PX
Free with admission (adults £24.70, 5–17s £12.40, under-5s free)
Mundo Pixar Experience (see my write-up here)
Until 28 June, 09:00/10:00–20:00 (earlier start time on weekends)
Fulton Road, Wembley, HA9 0TF
Adults £34–£36, 2–15s £22–£24, under-2s free
Age guidance: suitable for all
Fairy Tales (see my write-up here)
Until 23 August, various timeslots throughout each day (usually 09:30–16:30)
The British Library, 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB
Adults £13.50, 5–16s £13.50, 1–5s £6.75, under-1s free
Age guidance: 3–10
Seurat and the Sea
Daily until 17 May, 10:00–18:00
Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 0RN
Adults ÂŁ18, under-19s free
Cleopatra: The Experience (see my write-up here)
Daily until 12 July, timeslots from 10:00
Immerse LDN, Excel Waterfront, ExCel, E16 1XL
Adults £27, 4–15s £22, under-4s free
Age guidance: suitable for all
Beauty and Destruction: Wartime London in Art (see my write-up here)
Daily until 1 November, 10:00–18:00
Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, SE1 6HZ
FREE
Age guidance: suitable for all
David Hockney: A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts about Painting (see my write-up here)
Tuesday–Sunday until 23 August, 10:00–18:00
Serpentine North, West Carriage Drive, W2 2AR
FREE, but booking required
Inside Aardman: Wallace & Gromit and Friends (see my write-up here)
Daily until 15 November, 10:00–17:45
Young V&A, Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9PA
ÂŁ11 per person (under-4s free)
Ramses and the Pharaohs' Gold: The Exhibition (see my write-up here)
Daily until 31 May (various timeslots)
Adults £32.05, 5–15s £28.05, under-5s free
Battersea Power Station, 2 Circus Road East, SW11 8DQ
Age guidance: 5+
Voyage to the Deep – Underwater Adventures
Daily until 1 November, 10:30–17:30
Horniman Museum & Gardens, 100 London Road, SE23 3PQ
Adults ÂŁ9.80, children ÂŁ7, under-3s free
Age guidance: 2+
Octonauts: Adventure at the Horniman
Daily until 1 November, 10:00–17:30
Horniman Museum & Gardens, 100 London Road, SE23 3PQ
FREE
Tracey Emin: A Second Life (see my write-up here)
Daily until 31 August, 10:00–18:00
Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG
Adults £14, 12–18s £5, under-12s free
Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style (see my write-up here)
Daily until 18 October, 10:00–17:00
The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, SW1A 1AA
Adults £22, 5–17s £11, under-5s free